City of Westminster College in London (www.cwc.ac.uk) is one organisation seeing growing demand for its part-time DIY Car Maintenance evening course.

The ten-week course focuses on practical money-saving lessons, including how to change brake pads, check fuses, service a vehicle, and carry out a pre-MOT check.

Course leader Paul Germaine says: ‘The course is completely oversubscribed, lots of people sign up because they want to get some knowledge to help them save money.

‘Many are disappointed with their experiences at garages, and worry they’re being ripped off. They feel intimidated – this course gives them the knowledge they need to feel confident to question the garage if they’re not sure about something.’

The course costs £300 but Paul, a trained mechanic and the college's motor vehicle technical team leader, says some students make their money back before the course has even finished.

Classes are held in the university’s workshop and involve real cars. No qualifications are necessary and it attracts a mix of people, including city bankers, teachers and retirees.

It’s also designed to be relevant for modern cars.

‘Cars are becoming more specialised but with some basic tuition there are methods of sourcing good reliable information,’ explains Paul. ‘With some minimal investment you could have the correct tools for the job.

Civil servant Sarah Hodgetts took the course earlier this year after buying her first vehicle at the age of 37 - a 26-year-old VW camper van named Roxy.

She was convinced Roxy wouldn’t pass its MOT, but was determined to try, so she went to the garage to have a ‘well-informed chat’.

Sarah, who lives in Camden, north London, explains: ‘I sounded like some sort of petrol-head and I could see a rising respect on Mark’s - my mechanic’s - face. I also had a boot full of filters, oil and parts I'd bought myself at cost price.

‘The following day the bill was £150 - for an MOT and full service.

‘We're just heading off for a week in Roxy, so I'm going to check her oil, filters, tyres and water. I'll change whatever needs changing and make sure the jack and the jump leads are on board.’

There are plenty of other part-time car and motorbike maintenance courses around the country.

Many are organised by universities, such as Hackney Community College (www.hackney.ac.uk) in north London, which has run car and motorcycle maintenance courses for beginners for more than 15 years.

Other car courses include Lincoln College (www.lincolncollege.ac.uk) and Edinburgh College (www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk), while South Thames College (www.south-thames.ac.uk) in London teaches basic motorbike maintenance.

If you can’t commit to a regular evening, look out for one off events.

Free Women In Gear classes are run at various showrooms, teaching basic skills like how to change a tyre as well as giving advice on self-defence and situations involving road rage.

The evenings are organised by AVF Communications and FOXY Lady Drivers Club (www.foxyladydrivers.com), a membership club offering advice and support to female drivers. Although events are primarily for women, male family members can come along.

Women At The Wheel (www.womenatthewheel.co.uk) are free evening events held in Lancashire. Organised by independent garage Guide Bridge MOT & Service in Ashton Under Lyne, they aim to help drivers – male and female - learn how to carry out basic vehicle maintenance checks. And experts can answer questions in a ‘no jargon environment’.

And cyclists needn’t feel left out. The Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) (www.ctc.org.uk) charity offers one-day courses at various venues nationwide for around £99.